My wife and I are having a home inspection done today for our first home, so it’s also our first home inspection. As you can imagine there’s a wee bit of information we’ll be going through and going over.
The house is relatively new (2006) and is a flipped property that looks great on the surface. A basic walkthrough with our realtor and revealed nothing major, to use regular folks, but I’m sure the inspector will find a few things.
My question, for anyone really, is what are some questions that must be asked? I have a checklist from the American Home Inspectors Directory on things to look at and I also have a list of things I plan to ask, but I’d like to bounce suggestions around and see if there are any I haven’t thought of or overlooked.
It’d also be nice to confirm that others would be asking the same type of things as I am.
Pictures from inside the attic or crawlspace are helpful. Either from a camera phone or real camera.
Any water marks in the attic need to be looked at. Attics can freeze in cold climates. Any condensation freezes and can rot the wood. Poor ventilation causes the condensation.
Any cracks in the foundation should be documented with photos. Check the roof and any flashing. document damage with photos.
Plan on spending a full day caulking outside around windows, doors, and any cracks.
I never asked any questions of my home inspectors.
I look around myself before or at the same time the inspector was inspecting.
Things I look for
Roof what condition? any bad spots.
Rain gutters.
Electrical, water, and gas meters what kind of condition.
Electrical panels and loose wires of missing covers.
Run the water in the house. Run all the taps at the same time see if there is a pressure drop.
Check under sinks for water damage.
Flush toilets, do they flush right or are they slow going down.
Showers?
Does the tub drain right or slow?
Check all drains.
Check attic look for anything that does not look right.
Try all light fixturres and fans.
Get a plug in outlet tester and test out lets.
Check windows and window frames.
Look for anything that might need work or improvement.
If you find anything make sure the inspector also found it.
He will give you a report sometine after the inspection. Read it.
Do not be afraid to ask the sell to correct anything found wrong, even if it is not a deal brreaker. I bought a house in 2009. the house had no heater. At the time of the inspection I had a AC company come give me an estimate of installling forced air heat, this was not a deal breaker. Our agent after the inspection proposed the the seller put in forced air heating at a cost not to exceed $5100. They agreed.
Just because some one has taken a course is not necessarily enough. I would want somebody who also has experience in home construction, preferably experience as a builder or general contractor so they have some understanding of all the different processes involved. Experience in renovation or insurance claims where they have dealt with what can go wrong down the road is good too.
It is the inspector’s job to know what has to be looked for, and ask the right questions really though, not yours. Many things are specific to your municipality and region. Perspective is important also. A good inspector should be able to assess the significance of any problems detected, and not make you worry about things that really are not all that serious.
A good inspection can take a lot of time. I have had a team of 3 inspectors come into one of my homes and spend hours checking things over.
The biggest and most important factor in getting a home inspection is that your home inspector allow you to follow him/her around the home (as I do) and listen to every last item that the inspector is pointing out to you. It’ll be pretty obvious if your inspector is knowledgeable and knows what they are talking about within the first few minutes of your walk through. I hope by then that you hired the right inspector.
I suggest you hire an inspector from recommendations from your friends or family. A recommended home inspector is a good home inspector.
Assuming the house is in Vegas, this probably isn’t an issue for you, but I strongly recommend you get a separate mold inspection. We didn’t, and we should have.
I’m personally never buying another house without also getting the roof and air conditioning system inspected separately by roofing and HVAC professionals. The home inspector we hired (who had been recommended by the underwriter and our estate agent) missed several things that the people we hired to fix them were absolutely shocked at.
I read a story online recently about first time home owners who bought a house that the previous occupants had used as a meth lab. - the home inspectors don’t check for hazardous chemicals - and they couldn’t live there because the fumes made them sick.
You really have to check yourself, or pay a lot of extra money to get an inspector who will really go to work. What you are looking for are things that have been covered up and hidden. The inspector will probably notice a large coyote shaped hole in the roof. You have to bang on walls, get access to the crawl spaces, access doors, and open framing where utilities run and signs of damage haven’t been carefully covered up.
If you don’t have experience with home maintenance, find a friend who does to go with you. Or offer the inspector extra money to dig deep, and a reward for finding any problem that is a deal breaker.
You don’t have to waste time worrying about a loose piece of molding, or a loose door knob, or a faucet that might be dripping. Every house will have something like that, and those things will keep breaking anyway.
You are looking for water and fire damage, improper wiring and plumbing, wood rot, infestations, and toxic materials. Have the water tested, whether or not it has a well. Get the lead and radon tests done. You want to know if major appliances, furnace, central air, etc. are on their last legs. Depending on local laws, you are pretty much buying the house as is.